Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are days away from returning to the UK, where their children are enrolled to begin school in September. The couple will not be returning as working royals, and both will continue to pursue their own careers. Meghan is reportedly in talks to return to acting with a role in Netflix's third season of The Gentlemen, and she will continue working on her brand, As Ever, even after leaving California.
However, the couple's recent reunion with King Charles III and Queen Camilla suggests to some that they are trying to mend relationships with members of the Royal Family. Before the closed-door meeting in July, during which Charles saw Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet for the first time in four years, Harry had a strained relationship with his father and stepmother, and his relationship with his brother, Prince William, remained frosty.
Princess Anne and Zara Tindall
Princess Anne is known for having an incredibly close relationship with King Charles III and has historically been one of his closest confidantes. In fact, Charles bestowed her with the role of Gold-Stick-in-Waiting at his coronation. If Harry and Meghan want to make a good impression after years away from the Royal Family, Princess Anne is someone to start building a positive relationship with. It could be a good place to start, considering that Anne reportedly wants all parties involved in previous feuds to take responsibility.
Zara Tindall isn't considered one of the most influential figures in the Royal Family, but the cousin of Harry and William appears at many royal events and has a positive relationship with the King and central figures. She and Harry once had a close relationship that has reportedly disintegrated over time. If Harry and Meghan want to learn the art of balancing a connection to the Royal Family with their own career ambitions, then Zara Tindall is the guidebook, and someone the couple could be eager to rebuild a relationship with.
Princess Eugenie and Queen Camilla
While Princess Eugenie's parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, have been embroiled in a staggering amount of controversy over the past year, Eugenie and her sister, Beatrice, have remained close with the Royal Family. Eugenie was once a close ally of Harry's, but the pair have drifted apart over the years. All seemed to be final when Beatrice, who lives in Portugal for parts of the year, had lunch with long-time Harry and Meghan critic, Piers Morgan. If Harry and Meghan want a support network in what is bound to be a turbulent time in the press upon their return, building on the relationship Harry used to have with Eugenie would be a good place to start.
Queen Camilla was present during Harry's recent reunion with his father, and royal experts have suggested that she was there to support Charles in what was bound to be an awkward few moments. However, it may have been even more awkward for Camilla. She was mentioned in Harry's bombshell book, Spare, more than 60 times. In the memoir, she was called his "wicked stepmother" and "the other woman". These comments mean Harry will have to do some serious work to rebuild trust with his father's wife.
